04:09PM, Tuesday 15 August 2023
We heard Aunt Em warn Dorothy and Toto to take shelter as the tornado whisked us off to Oz,writes Terry Adlam.
We watched Glinda, the Good Witch of the West, as she set us on the yellow brick road back to home.
Enroute, we met the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion and ended up in the Emerald City where we encountered the Wizard, dissolved a witch and found out there was no place like Bracknell.
This was South Hill Park’s interactive Wizard of Oz experience which offers some great family summer fun in and around the grounds of the arts centre and the Lexicon Shopping Centre.
Producer, director and writer, Mark Hooper has put together a great cast and crew in this clever adaptation to ensure both young and old really didn’t feel like they were in Kansas anymore.
With six shows a day, the role of Dorothy is shared by a trio of talented actresses.
In this case, it was the turn of Claudia Adlam, who gave a confident and likeable portrayal that not only warmed her to the mobile audience but made her Dad very proud.
Caitlin Tyla as Auntie Em, Alex Stephanou as the Scarecrow, Kyan Amir Heywood as the Tin Man and Leo Joshua as the Cowardly Lion brought the familiar characters to life in the woods of South Hill Park, and inside, Lisa Renals was a hoot as an onscreen Glinda.
After a short trip over to the Lexicon, we entered the Emerald City, creatively constructed and lit by Wilde Theatre’s regulars, set designer Victoria Spearing and lighting supremo Michael Brenkley.
Here, Keir Buist did his magic as the Wizard and Chloe Emily Shepherd got her comeuppance as the Wicked Witch of the West, but still had one more big surprise for us as we headed home.
This is a very enjoyable and imaginative piece of immersive theatre that is an ideal addition to any summer holiday and is only a couple of clicks of some sparkly slippers away from a land near you.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road is showing at South Hill Park on selected dates from Thursday, August 17 to Sunday, August 27.
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